Yes, it is common sense. Any skill requires constant exercise to maintain. Music is no different. Again, we remind you of a saying attributed to the famous pianist and Polish Prime Minister I. Paderewski: "If I miss one day of practice, I notice it. If I miss two days, the critics notice it. If I miss three days, the audience notices it. Long breaks in the learning process always negatively affect learning progress. If you are not convinced, here is another quote by Nobel Laureate psychologist D. Kahneman: "The acquisition of skills requires a regular environment, an adequate opportunity to practice, and rapid and unequivocal feedback about the correctness of thoughts and actions."
We stay open during the summer for private lessons to help our students maintain and improve their skills. Summer scheduling provides a lot of flexibility - just let us know what weeks you are around to take classes. The summer semester offers another great experience - students have an opportunity to work with different instructors. After every summer, many students who attended the summer programs tell us what a wonderful experience it has been. Summer is also a great time to expand one's music experience - try a new instrument, learn how to compose and improvise or how to sing. Please check out the programs and workshops below. SMA reserves the right to cancel a workshop due to insufficient enrollment. There is a 10% discount for the students who take multiple group courses during the summer semester.
Playing an instrument is a skill that skill requires constant exercise to maintain. Keep your instrument skills polished and further the mastery of your instrument, by continuing your private music lessons during our summer semester. We have many different scheduling options to help accommodate you and your family's vacation plans. Please fill out the form linked below so we can tailor your lesson schedule accordingly.
This workshop is ideal for both beginners and experienced singers looking to brush up on the basics. In addition to preparing a song as a group, participants will receive instruction in the following singing techniques: how to warm up the voice, ideal posture for singing, breath management, how to recognize and adjust common vocal issues, popular voice tips and tricks and much more!
The students will watch a real music production session. The instructor will explain every step of the process and techniques and will discuss available tools. By understanding the principles and knowing what tools to use, the student will be ready to experiment at home independently.
Open to students of all instruments, voice and skill level, the Jazz Improvisation Class will allow students to explore their creativity through standard jazz songs. Pianists will explore common chord voicings and all instrumentalists will learn different ways to navigate through chord changes with ear training and knowledge of the fundamentals in music. Whether having years of experience playing jazz or just starting out, this course will help build confidence in exploring new music and improvising freely, it will be a fun experience for everyone involved!
This workshop aims to help students identify melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements in piano music and facilitate reading skills. We will cover some basic concepts in piano theory and look at various examples of piano music of different styles to learn how to identify common patterns in the right and left hand. We will also learn how to visually analyze the score quickly and deliver a more successful reading of the music on the page. This program is designed for students that are Elementary/Intermediate Level, with at least 1-2 years of piano experience preferred.
Walk into your next musical theater audition with confidence! Learn or refresh tried and true techniques every singer needs for a successful audition. Learning to audition is a skill that takes practice. Participants will prepare one or more audition cuts and present them in a masterclass/mock audition setting. This class consists of both group activities and individually tailored instruction from Nicole, including warm-up techniques, movement, character development, how to prepare for call-backs, and more!
Learning scales is an essential step in becoming a better musician. We will go through some of the most basic scales, with plenty of examples to help you understand how they are formed. After taking this course, you will have a great foundation on which you can begin your journey towards mastering the piano. And who will be the first to find a scale in pieces by famous composers?